Tobacco-rack.



No; 860,278. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

A. S. BOTKIN. TOBACCO RACK. AAAAAAA non FILED 11.20, 1907.

ADIN S. BOTKIN, OF MUIR, KENTUCKY.

TOBACCO-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedJuly 16, 1907.

Application filed April 29, 1907. Serial No. 370,979,

To all when 'it may concem:

tobacco may be placed to advantage with a view of facilitating drying thereof; and it contemplates the provision of supports which in combination with scantling taken from a barn or in combination with other bars, are calculated to form a rack which may be expeditiously and easily erected in a tobacco field, and is constructed in such manner that it is adapted to hold a considerable quantity of leaf tobacco so as to assure thorough wilting of the tobacco and in that way preclude house burning of the tobacco when the same is stored in a barn or other building.

With :the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tobacco rack constituting the present and preferred embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the bar holders comprised in the novel supports which I employ in forming the rack.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in both views of the drawings, referring to which:

A is the crown-bar of the rack constructed in accordance with my invention, and B B are the side bars thereof. These bars A and B may be of any desired shape or shapes in cross-section without involving departure from the scope of my invention as claimed. I prefer, however, to employ bars of rectangular form in cross-section such as illustrated. I also desire it understood that inasmuch as the bars are removable from the supports presently described in detail, scantling or other bars taken from a tobacco barn may be used in the rack, and then after tobacco is wilted on the rack and out in the tobacco patch, the bars with the tobacco thereon may be separated from the supports and suitably placed in the barn.

0C are the novel supports for use in the formation of the rack. The said supports 0 respectively comprise a metallic bar-holder a and means arranged to rest upon the ground and to hold the bar-holder sufficiently far above the ground to prevent the tobacco leaves being deteriorated by mud; the said means being by preference two diverging legs I) of locust or other suitable wood. The bar-holder a is preferably though not necessarily formed of sheet-metal, and it is made up of a body 0, a socket d fixed with respect to the body and arranged to snugly receive the upper ends of the legs b, a flanged opening 0 arranged above the socket d in position to receive one end of the crown bar A, and flanged openings f arranged at opposite sides of the vertical median line of the body and in a horizontal plane below that of the opening a and adapted to receive the ends of the side bars 15. With a view of fixing the supports C with respect to the crown-bar A so as to increase the stability of the rack, I prefer to provide the upper flange g of the opening c with a set screw h which bears therein and is adapted to be turned against the crown-bar so as to securely fix the same in the opening a.

In the practical use of the supports C constructed in accordance with my invention, the same are placed a suitable distance apart in a tobacco patch and are connected and held in upright positions through the medium of the bars A and B which are disposed in the openings e and f respectively; the crown-bar A being preferably fixed in the openings e through the mediuln of the set screws h. In this way it will be seen that a rack such as shown in Fig. 1, may be expeditiously and easily erected in a tobacco patch without the employment of skilled labor or tools of any kind.

It will also be observed that a considerable quantity of leaf tobacco may be supported to advantage on the rack, and that subsequent to the wilting oi the tobacco, the supports 0 may be separated from the bars A and B, and the said bars with the tobacco thereon may be placed in a barn or other storehouse.

In addition to the advantages hereinbelore ascribed to my improvements, it will be noted that the rack as a whole is simple and inexpensive in construction, is well adapted to withstand exposure to the weather, and is not liable to be injured by rough handling.

The construction herein shown and described constitutes the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is obvious that in practice various changes may be made in the form, construction and relative arrangement of parts without involving departure from the scope of my invention as defined in the claims appended.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a metallic bar-holder having an upper horizontally-disposed opening and lower horizontally-disposed openings arranged at opposite sides of the vertical plane of the upper opening, and a socket to receive legs, and also having means whereby it may be fixed to a bar in one of the said openings.

2. In a tobacco rack, the combination of bar-holders arranged a suitable distance apart and each having an upper horizontally-disposed opening and lower horizontally-disposed openings arranged at opposite sides of the vertical plane of the upper opening, and a socket, an upper bar and lower bars removably arranged in the said openings of the bar-holders, legs removably arranged in the sockets of the bar holders, and means carried by the bar holders for fixing the same to one of the bars.

3. In a tobacco rack, the combination with supports com prising metallic bar-holders having horizontally disposed, flanged openings and also having set screws bearing in flanges, and legs socketed in the said bar holders; ofbars 1Q removably arranged in and extending between the openings of the supports.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ADIN Si BOTKIN. Witnesses JOSEPH B. YOUNG, R. HOWARD SCOBEE. 

